Posted by admin on March 8, 2012 · 1 Comment
She wheeled the stroller into drop-in. It was a bitterly cold day and the bundle inside the stroller was barely recognizable…But WE knew who it was! Since we have known Gladys, she has been talking about gaining full custody of her granddaughter who was in the foster care system. She and her husband are housed, receive a pension and were fighting hard to get three year old Amy back. They had a lot of hoops to jump through, but they did it and as she walked into the drop-in a couple of weeks ago, Gladys could barely contain her joy. Once she was freed from the confines of her snowsuit, Amy mirrored her grandma’s big smile and said that she got to live with grandma and grandpa ALL the time now! She talked non-stop about how much she loved being with her grandparents and how happy she was. This couple doesn’t live high-off-the-hog, but they have a lot of love to give this little girl and she has a lot of love to give back. We count ourselves blessed to be a part of their support system!
Kim
Filed under ABCD, About OIM, Addictions, Alcoholism, Assets Based Community Development, Biblical, Breaking the cycle of poverty, Christmas, christmas cheer, Christmas giving, christmas on the streets, christmas spirit, creative arts, Dignity, Drop In Services, Events, General Poverty, gift of christmas, homeless christmas, Homelessness, Housing, Housing Ontario, Housing Ottawa, Injustice, injustice Ontario, Justice, justice canada, meaning of christmas, mental health, mental illness, Miracle on the Streets, Passion for Youth art program, Personal Experiences, Poverty, Poverty in Canada, Recovery, Respect, Social, Street Outreach, Street Youth, street youth art program, Street Youth in Canada, Street Youth Ottawa, systemic poverty canada, Uncategorized, Volunteer Ottawa, Volunteering · Tagged with
Posted by admin on March 2, 2012 · Leave a Comment
“Excuse me m’am…do you have any bus tickets? I have to get to an appointment this afternoon.” I was speaking with a couple of our friends at drop-in this week when a quiet and somewhat unsteady woman approached me and posed the question. I answered that we only give out tickets from the office and that there was no one there right now. I was just starting to tell her that I would double-check that when Corie, one of the friends in the group I was standing with, reached into his pocket and gave her 2 loonies. He doesn’t have much himself. Each week he gets a bag of groceries from our food-bank and I know that the ends don’t often meet in his budget. To say that I was humbled would be an understatement, but we see examples of generosity in the street community all the time. At the office the other day, one of our friends gave his gloves to another because he had a warm place to sleep and the other guy didn’t. I think we’re often guilty of thinking that we have so much to teach our street friends…but maybe…it’s the other way around.
Filed under ABCD, About OIM, Addictions, Alcoholism, Assets Based Community Development, Biblical, Breaking the cycle of poverty, creative arts, Dignity, Drop In Services, Events, General Poverty, Homelessness, Housing, Housing Canada, Housing Ontario, Housing Ottawa, Injustice, injustice Ontario, Justice, justice canada, meaning of christmas, mental health, mental illness, Miracle on the Streets, Passion for Youth art program, Personal Experiences, Poverty, Poverty in Canada, Recovery, Respect, Social, Street Outreach, Street Youth, street youth art program, Street Youth in Canada, Street Youth Ottawa, systemic poverty canada, Uncategorized, Volunteer Ottawa, Volunteering · Tagged with ABCD, Dignity, living on the streets, street work, walk the streets
Posted by admin on February 10, 2012 · Leave a Comment
If you look at me, and squint really hard, I look like God.
Whoa! Don’t be hasty! Unless you ask my little sister, I’m not that cocky. What I mean is, I’m made in God’s image. If you’d like to use a different metaphor, I have my Father’s eyes.
I bring this up because sometimes people ask me what I do when I volunteer with OIM. This is an easy one to answer! I do exactly what God has always intended I do in every single interaction I have with any human being (street engaged or not): I try my best to look like God. Polish up that blurry image so that it’s as clear a likeness as possible.
So whether I’m sharing a laugh in an after hours Laundromat, debating the best legal strategy for a court appearance, huddling in a doorway to discuss the impact of Winterlude on the street engaged population, or peering into the corners of a market parking garage, what I’m hoping for is that someone will see me, do a double-take, and then see God.
It’s only fair. Because it’s a pretty regular occurrence for me to turn a corner, see one of my street friends, and catch a strong glimpse of God.
And I usually don’t even have to squint.
Filed under ABCD, About OIM, Addictions, Alcoholism, Assets Based Community Development, Biblical, Breaking the cycle of poverty, creative arts, Dignity, Drop In Services, General Poverty, homeless christmas, Homelessness, Housing, Housing Canada, Housing Ontario, Housing Ottawa, Injustice, injustice Ontario, Justice, justice canada, meaning of christmas, mental health, mental illness, Miracle on the Streets, Passion for Youth art program, Personal Experiences, Poverty, Poverty in Canada, Recovery, Respect, Social, Street Outreach, Street Youth, street youth art program, Street Youth in Canada, Street Youth Ottawa, systemic poverty canada, Uncategorized, Volunteer Ottawa, Volunteering · Tagged with
Posted by admin on January 27, 2012 · Leave a Comment
Going to work this morning, I came down the same hill at the same time and saw the same bus going up the other side. I got on my usual bus with the same driver and saw the same people going about their routines too. Before that, I got up, checked my email…watched the morning news as I had my coffee and said goodbye to my family as I do every morning.
Routine…predictability…we might be tempted to see it as boring…but it’s actually healthy! Of course we like to shake it up every now and then to keep it interesting, but mental health experts say that routine and knowing what tomorrow will bring is a key factor in your overall health. The stress of not knowing what tomorrow will look like can be seen first in a lowered immune system leading to frequent illness, and chronic stress leads to changes in the very biochemistry of one’s body leading to conditions such as depression.
What did your morning look like? Many of the people we see at OIM woke up not knowing where they will eat today, or where they will sleep tonight. Many don’t know where they will be tomorrow, let alone in a week.
Routine…predictability…doesn’t sound so bad does it?
Filed under ABCD, About OIM, Addictions, Alcoholism, Assets Based Community Development, Biblical, Breaking the cycle of poverty, Christmas, christmas cheer, Christmas giving, christmas on the streets, christmas spirit, creative arts, Dignity, Drop In Services, Events, General Poverty, gift of christmas, homeless christmas, Homelessness, Housing, Housing Canada, Housing Ontario, Housing Ottawa, Injustice, injustice Ontario, Justice, justice canada, meaning of christmas, mental health, mental illness, Miracle on the Streets, Passion for Youth art program, Personal Experiences, Poverty, Poverty in Canada, Recovery, Respect, Social, Street Outreach, Street Youth, street youth art program, Street Youth in Canada, Street Youth Ottawa, systemic poverty canada, Volunteer Ottawa, Volunteering · Tagged with art therapy, Assets Based Community Development, biblical justice, break cycle poverty, christmas gift, christmas poverty, christmas spirit, Dignity, gift of christmas, help the poor, Homelessness, homelessness ottawa, Justice, Make a diference, Recovery, Respect, Street Youth, street youth outreach, walk the streets
Posted by ken on January 5, 2012 · Leave a Comment
Very different indeed. A bit hard to process for some, so let’s paint a picture of the reality of kids on the street. Many issues certainly, here are a few:
Physical Abuse: most kids are fleeing domestic violence. Hard as street life is, it’s viewed as better than ‘home’.
Substance Abuse: if it hasn’t already started, it comes into the picture big time when the kids hit the streets. It begins as self-medication to try to deal with pain of whatever they are facing. Then it turns into a physiological thing and then the kids need to maintain so as not to go into withdrawal.
All alone: Even though they hang out in larger groups for safety, each of these ‘tough kids’ is just a kid, like the kid across the street from you, who has HAD to put on an image in order to survive. It is a mask, necessary for survival. No support, no one to help, none. None.
Violence: is a part of it all, along with ‘survival tactics’ that are less than pretty: prostitution, drug use with needles and prescriptions and whatever else comes to hand, even running drugs for the ‘boss’ man.
We deal with these issues, portrayed through kids who mostly never had a fair chance because of their background. So we love on them, encourage them in the smallest things you can imagine, build self-esteem whenever we can, and really, just try to hang on to them.
Statistics report that there are a few levels of socio-economic backgrounds of kids on the streets, but guess what? The pimps, dealers and other exploiters, really do NOT care. They see a source of income, a piece of meat to ‘sell’, a means to their own selfish ends.
They come to us. They come every week. They have no other place to go that is positive, encouraging and supportive.
Yea, it’s hard work, and it really hurts sometimes, but we believe in these kids with all of our hearts.
Filed under About OIM, Addictions, Alcoholism, Breaking the cycle of poverty, Dignity, General Poverty, Homelessness, Injustice, Justice, justice canada, mental health, mental illness, Passion for Youth art program, Personal Experiences, Poverty, Poverty in Canada, Recovery, Respect, Social, Street Outreach, Street Youth, street youth art program, Street Youth in Canada, Street Youth Ottawa, systemic poverty canada, Uncategorized, Volunteer Ottawa · Tagged with Addictions, Alcoholism, art therapy, Assets Based Community Development, biblical justice, break cycle poverty, Dignity, help the poor, Homelessness, homelessness canada, homelessness ontario, homelessness ottawa, injustice Canada, injustice Ontario, living on the streets, Make a diference, poverty ontario, poverty ottawa, Recovery, Street Outreach, street youth outreach, walk the streets
Posted by ken on July 25, 2011 · Leave a Comment
Our youth outreach worker recounted this story of last Monday’s events, and I thought you would be interested.
Eddy was one of the first members of our Passion 4 youth art program. He enjoyed coming every week and worked on building model cars and also a model of a mountain with a stream running from the side. After the first art show he and his girlfriend Sue stopped coming to the group. I caught up with him a few times on outreach and he told me that he was selling too much crack now and could not afford to take a night off. So we just kept telling him that we loved him and that he was welcome to come back whenever he wanted to. Then we stopped hearing from him all together for a few months. At one point his girlfriend Sue contacted me and told me that he had been arrested for selling drugs. A few more months went by and I got a facebook message from Eddy. He told me that he had served 7 months in Jail and then was released to serve the rest of his sentence at a rehab facility in Quebec. He was allowed to go home for a weekend and while at home he used heroin again. When he came back to rehab and failed a drug test and was dismissed from the facility.
At his next court appearance Eddy was informed that he would have to serve a few more months in jail because he failed the drug test. He asked if he could go and call his mother. When he left the room, Eddy got scared and decided to run from the court room. He later called his lawyer who told him that he needed to turn himself in to the authorities. He knew that he should do the right thing but he was very scared to turn himself in.
Eddy asked me what I thought he should do and I told him that he needed to listen to his lawyer. He said that he has never willingly put himself in Jail. It was just too crazy to think about. So over the next few weeks Eddy would contact me and tell me that he was going to turn himself in. But the next day he would not follow through. He called me again and said that he was thinking about turning himself over to authorities in the morning. I told him that if he wanted I would meet him I would meet with him at the Rideau center in the morning and we could go together. That way he could have a friend with him in case he got scared and wanted to run away again. Eddy said that he would like that so we arranged a time to meet. When I arrived at our meeting spot he was already there waiting for me. We hugged and I told him that I was proud of him. I got him some breakfast and sat and talked for a while. I asked him why he felt that he was ready now. He told me that he had just found out that our mutual friend Roni had died of a drug overdose last week. Roni was a good friend to him and her death had a profound effect on him. He decided that if he didn’t want to end up the same way he needed to make some changes in his life. We talked about how this was an opportunity for him to face some of the things that he has been running from. We walked over to the court house together. Along the way Eddy noticed a man sitting on the Mackenzie King Bridge pan handling. Eddy walked over and gave him all but 4 of the cigarettes from his pack, as well as all of the money in his pocket. We went into the court and called his lawyer. The lawyer agreed to meet him there. When the lawyer came we approached one of the police officers stationed at the court house and told him that Eddy was turning himself in. He filled out some paper work gave up his wallet and shoe laces. He looked very scared and started to cry. The officer told him that he was going to process the paper work and be back in about fifteen minutes. In the mean time Eddy was allowed to go outside and have one last smoke.
We walked out to the patio in the back and he lit his cigarette. At this point I reminded him of all the times we had talked about the difference that Jesus could make in his life. We talked about how God’s love for him is unconditional, and that he was going to need Gods strength to overcome the things that were controlling his life. Usually an agnostic, Eddy told me that this time he really believed that what I was saying was true. So I asked if he would like to ask the Lord to be his Savior and give his life to Christ he said that he did. I sat next to him and we prayed together. When we were done praying we looked up and the police officer was waiting in front of us to take him to the cells. We stood up and walked together with the officer to the elevator.
The officer agreed not to handcuff him until they were downstairs so as not to embarrass him in front of the public. Eddy teared up again and then gave me a hug. I left him my number so that he can continue to call me while he is in jail. He thanked me for staying with him and then asked if I would call his dad and let him know what happened. As I left the court I thought about how proud of Eddy I was. This was very hard for him but he did it anyway. I thanked God for taking what the devil would want to use for harm and turning it into an opportunity to bring my friend into a relationship with him.
It’s a new beginning for Eddy, a fresh start. Let’s pray that he continues to make good decisions and plans for his future.
Filed under ABCD, About OIM, Addictions, Assets Based Community Development, Breaking the cycle of poverty, creative arts, Dignity, Events, Homelessness, Justice, justice canada, Passion for Youth art program, Personal Experiences, Poverty, Recovery, Respect, Street Outreach, Street Youth, street youth art program, Street Youth in Canada, Street Youth Ottawa · Tagged with ABCD, Addictions, art therapy, Assets Based Community Development, break cycle poverty, criminal justice system, Dignity, help the poor, Homelessness, homelessness canada, homelessness ontario, homelessness ottawa, jail time, justice system, living on the streets, Make a diference, poverty Canada, poverty ontario, poverty ottawa, Recovery, Respect, Street Outreach, street work, Street Youth, street youth outreach
Posted by ken on June 24, 2011 · 1 Comment
A few weeks ago, one of our street youth was found drowned in the Ottawa River. I can tell you he came from a broken home, with all the accoutrements that you might imagine might accompany that. He left home when he was 16 and was ‘on and off’ the streets. We have been in relationship with him for the past three years.
A few weeks ago another agency called us to ask if we had seen him. Neither we nor they had contact with him for three weeks or so, and long story short, he was found in the river after partying at his 19th birthday with some friends.
But that’s not my story… There was a memorial service just last week, and many of the kids on the streets were in attendance to pay their respects. Our youth outreach worker had to leave the memorial a bit early and noticed the two policemen that were waiting downstairs just outside in the hallway where the memorial service was held. Imagining that they had come to pay their respects to the deceased, he greeted them and walked outside. ‘Nice of them to come’, he thought.
The next day we started to hear reports about the aftermath of the memorial. Apparently these two policemen were waiting for a specific purpose. They had a number of photographs and list of descriptions of youth who had outstanding warrants, and were waiting for the kids to emerge from the memorial service to apprehend them and take them off to jail. These would be for breeches of probation, failure to show at court, unpaid fines and the like.
OK, so the police are just trying to do their jobs? Yes they are.
Nothing technically wrong with it, there were not violating any laws or anything. It just seems to be a bit shortsighted in that it achieved a short term goal, but does no long term bridge building betweem the kids and the police.
I would love to hear your comments on this one!
Filed under Biblical, Dignity, Homelessness, Injustice, Justice, justice canada, Respect, Social, Street Youth, Street Youth in Canada, Street Youth Ottawa · Tagged with
Posted by ken on March 11, 2011 · Leave a Comment
March winds blow, or it pours rain, minus 30 with the wind chill – or any combination thereof. Only in Canada, eh?
We can look forward to spring, but it seems a long time coming.
No less for our street friends – not that’s the understatement of the year.
Christmas is a time typically when there is a generous outpouring of love and generosity to those on the streets and we are thankful for this. But what about after Christmas?
Maybe we don’t think about it all that much, but the winter is a misery when you are on the move all the time, with no place to rest your usually wet, cold, freezing feet. The laundromat is usually a good place, but it is often the case that the proprietors of the same are on the lookout for people who don’t wash their clothes. The laundromat just beside our offfice entance is a good example. It is common for the police to be called to this place, because some of Ottawa’s homeless population need a warm place.
In extreme cold -whatever that is- I guess it depends on whether or not you are in the cold all the time . Street-engaged people are herded up and forced to go ‘inside’ (not the Chateau Laurier). This experience can be worse that staying outside, because it is yet another violation of their persons (the force that can accompany can be excessive) – there are reasons why people cannot access services.
I guess I’m painting a pretty dark, bleak picture. A bit negative, eh? But it is what it is – I’m pretty sure about that.
What then? Well, don’t forget about those on the streets, even when the weather has some degree of improvement: the nights are still very cold.
Why not think about doing something about this problem? You could contact one of the local agencies in your city and volunteer to do something. Maybe you could give something – time, talents or money. Stop and talk to someone you pass who is panhandling on the streets: you would be surprised how ‘invisible’ someone can become as soon as they sit on a curb with a ball cap and ask for money. Give or not, it’s up to you, but you need to see that this is a real person, with a real story, he/she is where she is, not from choice, but from a cascade of trouble that they could do nothing to change (it usually begins with childhood abuse – how can we hold someone responsible for that?)
Give some change if you like – better a bill. Once you give, forget about what will happen to it. We hold people so very responsible for so little, when we are so careless with the treasures with which we have been blessed.
One thing for sure: we really can’t do nothing about this. In our affluence, remember the poor.
Make a difference. Go out there and change your world.
Filed under About OIM, Addictions, Alcoholism, Breaking the cycle of poverty, Dignity, General Poverty, Homelessness, Injustice, Justice, justice canada, mental health, mental illness, Personal Experiences, Poverty, Poverty in Canada, Recovery, Respect, Volunteer Ottawa, Volunteering · Tagged with Addictions, Alcoholism, break cycle poverty, Dignity, drop in, drop in service, injustice Ontario, Make a diference, poverty Canada, poverty ottawa, Respect, social justice, Street Outreach, Street Youth, Volunteer, Volunteering, walk the streets
Posted by ken on March 4, 2011 · Leave a Comment
Big transition of our drop in this past week from Salvation Army Gladstone Street to Dominion Chalmers U/C on Lisgar. For those who aren’t aware of this prestigous United Church, have a look at photos at http://www.dc-church.org/ A remarkable, extrememly well kept, renovated, bright, cheery place – exactly the kind of place that our street friends deserve to come into for a meal, refreshment and friendship.
Switching from Wednesday to Tuesday and the first of the month when all the cheques are out, and when it is absolutely beautiful and sunny, attendance was a bit low. But, every person is important, and our gift is to come alongside those who are given to us on any day.
I had seen Jacques several times but never had a chance to sit and visit until today. Add to that, Jacques can neither hear nor speak. So I sat across the table and tried to communicate, thinking he might read lips or we could have some sort of communication. He clearly indicated some things to me, one of which was he was not interested in trying to communicate with me (at least in my clumsy manner). I was at a loss, until I looked at the white napkin in front of me, and then caught a glimpse of a pen that my neighbour had placed next to her book. DUH!!
I picked up the pen and napkin and wrote a sentence of welcome.
The transformation was immediate and eagerly accepted. After a few pen exchanges, I went and found some loose leaf and we spent the next while going back and forth, writing like we were age old friends.
Jacques told me days, dates and years of significant events in his life. We talked about the drop in and answered questions that he had since he came through our doors some time ago. Of where he lived, how it was hard to live on ODSP, how old he was, where he was raised and more…
It was refreshing, even exhilerating! I had a friend to talk with, and so did he.
We get so busy with things – and I would be one of the worst offenders. This and that call for immediate attention and we can neglect or overlook the gifts of beauty in the people around us. This is clearly my story with Jacques.
I wonder who the deaf and dumb one really is.
I don’t know why I didn’t think of writing before, but I am thank God that I thought of it this week.
And I thank God for my new friend – my note pal.
I wonder what riches we will uncover as we develop our friendship? I am really looking forward to more.
God help us to slow down and see the opportunities that present themselves to all of us each day.
Filed under About OIM, Biblical, Breaking the cycle of poverty, Dignity, Drop In Services, Events, General Poverty, Justice, justice canada, Miracle on the Streets, Personal Experiences, Poverty, Poverty in Canada, Respect · Tagged with break cycle poverty, Dignity, drop in, drop in service, help the poor, Homelessness, homelessness canada, homelessness ontario, homelessness ottawa, Make a diference, poverty Canada, poverty ottawa, Respect, social justice
Posted by ken on January 27, 2011 · Leave a Comment
We were eating lunch when about twelve taps at the door came, softly, rhythmically and then stopped. We looked at each other and guessed it was the one of our guys that always came when we were closed. “Pete, for sure,” and we agreed.
We opened the door to find Rachel, a twenty something native Canadian with a three inch gash over her right temple, blood not fresh, but not old either. “I had no where to go. I couldn’t find anybody. I didn’t know what to do, so I came here.”
We ushered her in, sat her down and started to tend to her wound. There was more: a bicycle pedal imprint over her right knee where she had been thrown, sore ribs and bruises on her body where she had been kicked and punched.
“I don’t know why I get guys that beat me up,” she said softly, between tears. “I left my last boyfriend for this very reason. I just found out I am a month pregnant. What am I going to do?”
“You did the right thing to come to us,” we comforted her.
We cleaned the wound and bandaged it – thankfully it didn’t need stitches – this time. She spoke so softly, as if her every word, let alone her presence with us was, as she thought, was such an intrusion.
“I couldn’t find Benny or Smitty or Lally, or anybody. I had nowhere else to go. I didn’t know what to do,” she said again, and then broke into muffled sobs.
As I watched, Erin put down the towel, and wrapped her arms around Rachel, and held her. The sobs turned to a moaning and deep sobbing from areas of pain deep within. She melted into Erin’s embrace, now just a little girl, all alone, with some pretty big problems.
“There, there,” Erin whispered, “You’re Ok with us. You are safe here.” And she held her.
That’s it. That’s what OIM is all about – somewhere and someone to whom you can run when the bottom falls out of life. A safe place where someone who cares will hold you when the whole world is crashing around you. Where you have a name. Where you can share your pain, and know that another human being really does care. Where, for not-enough-minutes-at-a-time, you can have a family again.
Moments of time etched on our minds, some of which will not be soon forgotten. When something we do seems to make a whole lot of sense, in a world which doesn’t make sense at all. If we never did another single, solitary thing for the rest of forever, we were there – and we are here – for Rachel.
Filed under Addictions, Alcoholism, Biblical, Breaking the cycle of poverty, Dignity, General Poverty, Homelessness, Justice, justice canada, Personal Experiences, Poverty, Poverty in Canada, Respect, Social · Tagged with biblical justice, break cycle poverty, Dignity, help the poor, homelessness canada, homelessness ontario, homelessness ottawa, injustice Canada, Make a diference, poverty Canada, poverty ontario, poverty ottawa, Respect, social justice, Street Youth
